Car-fender



NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER BEST, OF ELIZABETH, NEV JERSEY.

CAR-FENDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part-of Letters Patent No. 561,155, dated June 2 1896.

Application filed July l5, 1895. Serial No. 555,957. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, PETER BEST, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of (North) Elizabeth, in the county of Union and State Vof New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car Fenders or Guards, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to car fenders or guards; and the object thereof is to produce a device of this character which is simple in construction and operation and which will prevent the serious and frequently fatal results which often occur when a person or other object is struck by a car while in motion; and with this and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specication, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the end of a car provided with my improved fender or guard in a position ready for use; Fig. 2, a similar View showing the position which the parts assume when aY person is struck, and Fig. 3 a bottom plan view.

In the practice of my invention I secure beneath the platform Aof a ca r hangers B, to which is pivotally secured a fender consisting of a frame composed of side bars C, which are united by transverse rods D and d, the rst of which is located near the middle of the side bars C and the last of which near the front end thereof, as shown in Fig. 3, and between these rods there is a body portion of wire-mesh or similar material.

Rigidly connected with the front end of the car, near the top of the dashboard and with the front end of the platform, is a second or vertical'fender-frame E, consisting of side bars, to the lower end of which is secured, by hinges or otherwise, a short supplemental frame e, which extends outwardly and downwardly, and to the outer or forward end of which is hinged an auxiliary frame e', which is provided at its front end with rollers e2, and hinged to the top of the second or vertical fender-frame E is a third or outer fenderframe'F, which consists of two sections, the lower section fof which is hinged to the section F below the middle thereof, and said lower section is also hinged at its lower end to the auxiliary frame e2, as shown at f', and hinged to the lower end of the section f is a supplemental frame f2, having a yielding bar f3, of 6o rubber or similar material. The section fis provided with a body portion of wire-mesh or similarmaterial, and the fender-frame F is provided with a plurality of fiat metal springs G, which are connected with the top thereof, as shown as g, and bent outwardly and downwardly and secured to the lower end of said fra1ne,as shown at f thus forming abody portion of springs for the outer fender-frame F.

The auxiliary fender or guard f2, hinged 7o to the section j' of the fender-frame F, is provided with a top plate II, which is hinged to side plates h, connected with the section f, as shown as h2.

Extending vertically through the platform 7 5 is a rod K, to the bottom of which is secured an arm 7c, the end of which is provided with a'series of perforations or holes lo', and pivotally connected with the lower end of the outer fender-frame F and centrally of the un- 8o der side thereof is a rod L, the free end of which is provided with a downwardly-extending projection Z, adapted to be inserted through one of the perforations 7c', as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The shoulders Z', by means 8 5 of which the rod L is pivotally connected with the fender-frame F, extend downwardly and overlap the junction of the said frame F and the section f, as shown in Figs. l and 2.

Connected with the fender -frame C, by 9o means of a transverse rod M, is a bar m, which extends upwardly and is pivotally connected at fm with the outer fender-frame F, and also pivotally connected with each side of the frame E are arms n, the outer ends of which are each provided with a downwardly-project ing head N, adapted to operate in connection with lugs or pins n', secured to or formed on the sides of the frame F, and pivotally con-v nected with a rod which extends through the roo arms n is a vertical rod O, which extends upward through an eye or loop 0, connected with the top of the dashboard.

The hinged connection between the frame F and the section f thereof is so formed that when these parts are in the position shown in Fig. l they will not be exactlyin a straight line; but it will be slightly outwardly convexed or inclined, the object of which is to prevent the accidental displacement thereof from the operative position.

The operation will be readily understood from the foregoing description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. lV hen the car is in motion, the parts of my improved fender or guard will be in the position shown in Fig. l, with the outer fender-frame extended, and the supplemental frame c' of the vertical frame E will be ex tended adjacent to the track. 1f a person or object should be struck by the car when in motion, said person or object will be thrown against the outer frame F and its hinged section f, and these parts will at once be thrown in the position shown in full and dotted lines in Fig. 2, and the .fender-frame C will be borne down to and in contact with the track, as also shown in Fig. 2, by the arm or bar in, and in this position the pivoted arms a will connect with the I n'ojection n', as shown in Fig. 2, and hold the frame F in the position shown in said figure. Ordinarily the person. or object struck will be received upon or supported by the fender in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2; but if by any possibility such person or object should pass under the hinged sectionf and c said person or object will be received upon or caught by the fender C, which is in the depressed position shown in Fig. 2. It will be observed that the pivoted arms n may be operated by the rod O when it is desired to release them from the projections n, and the Vertical rod K, which extends through the platfom of the car, maybe operated to draw back the pivoted rod L and secure or hold the outer fender-frame F in the depressed position shown in Fig. 2 until it is desired to release the same and again restore it to the operative position shown in Fig. l, which may also be dene by means of the rod K.

lt will thus be seen that l accomplish the object of my invention by means of a device which is simple in construction and operation, and which can readily be attached to any car without change in the construction thereof, and which is comparatively inexpensive.

Having fully described my invention, l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The combination with a car, of a fenderframe pivotally supported beneath the platform thereof, a Vertical frame secured to the end of the ear and provided with a projection, to which is hinged a supplemental frame, adapted to be supported adjacent tothe track, an outer frame composed of hinged sections the upper end of which is hinged to the vertical frame and the lower end of which is hinged to the outer end of the supplemental hinged frame, the upper section of the outer frame being pivotally connected with the frame beneath the platform by means of a rod, and a Vertical rod extemling through the platform of the car and having an arm secured to the lower end thereof, and a rod pivotal] y connected with the outer frame at the hinged connection of the separate parts thereof, and the inner end of said rod being adapted to be connected with said arm, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination with a car, of a fenderframe pivotally supported beneath the platform thereof, a Vertical frame secured to the end of the car and provided with a projection, to which is hinged a supplemental frame, adapted to be supported adjacent to the track, an outer frame composed of hinged sections the upper end of which is hin ged to the Vertical frame and the lower end of which is hinged to the outer end of the supj'ilemental hinged frame, the upper section of the outer frame' being pivotally connected with the frame beneath the platform by means of a rod, and a Vertical rod extending through the platform of the car and havingan arm secured to the lower end thereof and a rod pivotally connected with the outer frame at the hinged connection of the separate parts thereof, and the inner end of said rod being adapted to be con' neeted with said arm, and an auxiliary frame connected with the lower end of the lower section of the outer frame and adapted to be supported adjacent to the track, substantially as shown and described.

The combination with a ear, of a fenderframe pivotally supported beneath the platform thereof, a vertical frame secured, to the end of the car and provided with a projection, to which is hinged. a supplemental frame, adapted to be supported adjacent tothe track, an outer frame composed of hinged sections the upper end of which is hinged to the Ver tical frame and the lower end of which is hinged to the outer end of the supplemental hinged frame, the upper section of the outer frame being pivotal] y connected with the frame beneath the platform by means of a rod, and a vertical rod extending through the platform of the, car and having an arm secured to the lower end thereof and a rod piv otally connected with the outer frame at the hinged connection of the separate parts thereof, and the inner end of said rod being adapted to be connected with said arms, and an auxiliary frame connected with the lower end of the lower section of the outer frame and adapted to be supported adjacent to the track, and means connected with the Vertical frame for holding the outer frame in a depressed position, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as myinvention l have signed my name, in pres ence of two witnesses, this 12th day of July, 1895.

PETER BEST. lvitnesses:

L. ill. MULLER, A. M. Cusack.

IIO 

